Crop lifter



Dec. 27, 1938. H. D. HUME ET AL CROP LIFTER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 4, 1956 jumps 15. Dove Inventor Attorney I Dec. 27, 1938. H. D. HUME ET AL CROP LIFTER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 4, 1936 A ltomeu Patented Dec. 27, 1938 UNITED STATES OFFICE 6' Claims. (01. see-312) Our present invention relates to an improved crop litter or attachment for grain harvesters, and particularly as attachment for harvesters of the mower or sickle type employing a front,

* outwardly set, reciprocating grain cutter. The crop lifter is mounted as an attachment on the cutter frame of the sicklefor operation in advance of the transversely extending sickle or cutter, for the purpose of aiding'andassisting guiding and passing the grain or crop rearward-1y to the sickle and upwardly to the usual rotary reel and draper found on this-type of harvester.

The crop litter is adapted not only for use in harvesting standing grain, but it is also useful in harvesting down or fallen grain, vines, and other crops that lie close to the ground and are adapted to be harvested by an implement of the reciprocating cutter type. I

The crop lifter may be manufactured as an original part of the well known type of rec'iprm catingcutter' or sickle, or, as herein illustrated, the appiiance ismanuractured as a unitthatmay readily be attached to the mow r or harvester without altering the construction or operation of 2 the latter, and when assembled, the attachment provides auxiliary device that enhances the emciency" of the implement to which it-is attached.

The invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements of partsas will hereinafter' be more may set forth and claimed. In the accompanying drawings we have illustrated one complete example of the physical embodiment of our invention in connection with aharvestin'g implement, wherein the parts are combined and arranged according to one mode we have devised for the" practical" application of the principles of our invention, It will be understood that various changes and alterations may be made in the exemplifying structures, Within the scope of our claims,- without departing from the principles of ourinvention, I

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the crop lifter mounted on the cutter frame in advance of the reciprocating cutter or the harvester, parts 10 of the sickle being shown in section, and the range of movement/ of the crop lifter being indicatedby dotted lines;-

Figur e2 isa detai t side view of the supporting shoe or runner of the crop lifter.

50 Figure 3 is a plan view of the rear end of the supporting shoe or runner of the crop lifter.

Figure 4 is a. detail cross section at line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a perspective view at the front end 55 or the crop lifter.

' Figure dis a detail vertical, longitudinal section' at line 6- 6 of Figure 8.

Figure '1 is' a detail view in cross section at line l'! of Figure 6. V

Figure 8 is a; top plan view of the crop lifter, 5 as a detached unit.

Figure 9 is a perspective view of the detached spring employed with the crop lifter. 11 In order that the utility of the device, and the general arrangement and relation of parts may readily be understood, we indicated in Figure l the reciprocating cutter as C, the well known type oi.- guard G at the outer, free, end of the cutter, the frame bar B and frame F, and a tine T. These are well known devices employed in the 5 sickle type oimower, and it will be understood thate. rotary reel, not shown, is usually employed tor conveying the grain to the cutter, and that the cut grain passes over the tines T to the usual draper or conveyer' o iemti-ng transversely of the harvesting implement. The tine T is shown attached to the bar B by means of a bolt t and nut 2 and the bolt is preferably formed with an angular or squared shank 3; which: bolt rigidly holds the base of the tine to the top of the bar B,rigidly secures the guard G to the bar B, and this bolt is also employed for rigidlyi attaching the supporting runner or shoe 4 together with the guard G at the underside of the fbariBi 1 For this purpose the rear, flat end of the runner or shoe 4 is provided with a longitudinally extending slot 5 through which the squared shank of the bolt I projects, and the slot 5 readily providesfor" adjustment or the supporting shoe or runner in attaching the auxiliary device to the sickle, I In' the upper face of the supporting shoe a grooved seat-6 is pro'vided which conforms to the under face of the guard G, and it will readily be seen that the shoe may readily be slipped over 40 the'nose or: the guard and under its body portion,

after which the shoe is rigidly fastened by the bolt I to the guard and to" the cross bar B.

At its forward end the shoe is fashioned with an upwardly projecting" hollow somewhat V- ,45

shaped head 1 located in advance of the cutter C and the 'guard G, and abridge bar 8 connects the two V"-ar ms' of the head;

Atthe rear side of the head, as best seen in Figure 2, a vertical series of bolt holes 9 pass transversely through the head, one of which may be selected for the pivot bolt In, which pivotally supports the crop lifter in connection with the nut I I.

The crop lifter is in the nature of a pivoted rounded point, so that a swathe of grain maybe separated from the field and the grain guided" toward the cutter.

The under portion of the nose of le that spread the grain and thesebraces'merge with lower spaced bars or braces l5 that extend rearwardly and merge with the walls. ofsa housing it formed at the underside of the crop lifter. This housing fits over and encloses thehead "I of the supporting shoe or runner and the pivot bolt l0 passes through both spacedlateral walls of the housing, an out-spreading guide facejl'l being provided on the exteriorpof the housing wall to, prevent grain vines, etc., from being tangled with the nut ll of the bolt 10.

It will thus appear that the crop lifter is mounted to pivot orrock on the bearing head of the supporting shoe or runner, and the range of rocking movement is indicated by dotted lines inFigure 1. Y

It will be understood that the supporting shoe or runner 4 slides over the ground surface and supports both the, cutter and the crop lifter, and the latter is adapted to rock on its pivot when an irregularity in the ground surface, or an obstruction, is encountered, to prevent breaking of parts or the imposition of excessive strains.

The front end of the crop lifter is'held down to its working positon, and the rear end is held up in its operative position, by means of a spring l8 that is mounted in the bearing head 1 inadvance of the pivot bolt.v One end IQ of thespring is bent to hook shape, as at l9, and anchored to the crop lifter by means of a transverselyextending lug 29 in the housing, and the other end 2! of the spring is hooked to extend transversely over and engage the bridge bar 8.of'the bearing' head.

The position ofcthe crop lifter may be adjusted to properly locate the nose of the device with re- 7 lation to the ground, 'by means of an adjusting screw or bolt 22 threaded through; the rearwall of the housing-with its inner end bearingw against the head I of the supporting shoe, and-a set nut or locking nut 23 on the bolt is turned into frictional contact with the outer face of the housing wall. When thus adjustedthe downward movement of the front end of the croplifter, under urge of the spring I8, is limited by contact of the bolt with the head I, but the crop lifter may swing against the tension of the spring, as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 1.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: x

1. The combination with a supporting shoe having a hollow approximately V-shaped head, of a finger bar having a housing fitted over the the crop lifter is fashioned with rearwardlyfiaring braces face for frictional engagement with the guard,

anintegral bearing head on the front end of the shoe, a finger bar having a housing enclosing the head "and 'pivotally mounted thereon, resilient means "between the head and the housing for holding the finger bar in operative position and adjustable-means: on the housing for engagement with the head to limit downward movement 'ofthe front end of the finger bar.

,3. The combination with a supporting shoe having a hollow approximately V-shaped head, of a finger bar havinga housing fitted over the head" and pivotally supported thereon, a spring mounted in theV-shaped head, means for anchoring the respective ends-of the spring to the headand-to the housing,and adjustable means on the housing-for engagement with the head to limit downward movement of the front endof the finger bar.

,4. A knife guard for cutting implements comprising, a shankfor'attachment to the cutter bar of an implement, a shoe provided with a recess for reception of the forward end of saidshank, a pivotal connection forgsaidshoe and shank, a spring positioned within said recess between the shoe and shank and urging the freelend ofthe shoe downwardly, and a set screw carried by the shoe and engaging said shank for limiting the downward movement of said shoe 5. A knife guard for cuttingimplements comprising, ashank for attachment to the cutter 'bar of animplement, a shoe provided with a recessforreception of the forwardend .of said shank, a pintle connecting said shoe and shank, a spring positioned with, saidrecess between the shoe and shank to urge the free end'of ;the shoe downwardly toward the ground theforward end of said shank being provided with a'rounded nose on its :lower, side to ride: over obstructions, anda set screw carried by the shoe for engaging said .shankto limituthe downward movement of said nos e.-

; 6. In combination a-cutterbar ,ofjan imp m a. knife a d acompri ine aj shank. for

attachment torthe cutter bar, -a .shoe provided with a recess for reception of the forwardend of said shank, a pivotal connectionfor said shoe and shank, a spring positioned withinv said recess between the shoe and shank and urging the free end of the shoe downwardly, a-set screw carried by the shoe and-engaging said shank for limiting the downward movement of said shoe, and meanscarriedby the shoe and engaging the shank for limiting the-upward movement of saidshoe. 1 c .7

HORACE D. HUME. JJ M S E. 

